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wife, Elizabeth Cristy of Londonderry, New Hampshire, was born the same year as her husband. They were married at the age of twenty and came to St. John a year later. According to the statement of John Quinton, who died not many years ago, and who had much of his information directly from his grandmother's lips, Hugh Quinton and wife on their arrival sought shelter in the barracks at old Fort Frederick, and there the very night of their arrival, August 28, 1762, their first child James Quinton was born; to him therefore appertains the honor of being the first child of English speaking people born at St. John. Not very long after—probably in the year 1763—Hugh Quinton went to Maugerville, of which township he was one of the original grantees. He is described in an old document as an "Innholder," from which it seems he furnished entertainment to travellers, or kept a "tavern." In those days the keeper of a tavern was usually a very respectable and important personage. Many of the first religious services at Maugerville were held at Hugh Quinton's house, as being more commodious than the houses of the majority of the inhabitants. He was himself a member of the Congregational Church. In the year 1774 he sold to Rev. Seth Noble[1] his lot of land (No. 97 in the Maugerville grant) and removed to Manawagonish in the township of Conway where he is returned as a resident in the enumeration of the settlers made by James Simonds the following year.[2]
Hugh Quinton participated, along with the majority of the Maugerville settlers, in their disloyal proceedings of May, 1776. He was one of the rebel committee then formed and went so far as to accompany Colonel Eddy, at the head of a contingent of sympathizers, in
- ↑ David Burpee, deputy sheriff of Sunbury Co, sold at auction May 21, 1284, lot No. 97 in Maugerville to satisfy the suit of Hugh Quinton for £158 against Seth Noble who is described as "late of Maugerville, clerk."
- ↑ See December number of this Magazine.